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Re: New recordist introduction and request for tips.

Subject: Re: New recordist introduction and request for tips.
From: "Avocet" madl74
Date: Sat Sep 3, 2011 7:20 am ((PDT))
> If at all possible, I would love to listen to your recordings of
> India, I think that may inspire me greatly considering my own
> venture.

David,

I'm afraid they were transmited many years ago on BBC TV
documentaries. I was never able to preserve my original tapes due to
the system, so all I have is memories. :-(

> I totally am going to use the LS-5 as is for now and try to learn
> its mics and pres while testing and checking new settings.
...
> I have not really considered how to place this instrument yet, when
> I want to record nature ambiance, should I be aiming straight
> forward?

I predict that you will soon find the limitations of built-in mics, in
particular handling and wind noise, but experiment. Walk and talk
around the recorder at about 5 yards in various orientations and see
what you get. Try laying it on the ground - unorthodox but sometimes
it works well. I also test stereo mic rigs with a 12V car air
compressor and by shaking a canister of peanuts to see what the stereo
pattern is.

> As for high-pass, how, in time of editing do you return the bass?
> pure equalization or is there some other method?

I use Audacity (free) but most sound editors have an equaliser
function that can reverse the HPF. Audacity has a fine graphic
equaliser which you can also program directly into the file
<EQCurves.xml> A bass cut often has a 6dB per octave slope which is
easy to reverse. This way you won't lose anything by using the HPF but
you will avoid losing recordings due to unexpected LF.

> I worked only with manual settings up until now, but I have noticed
> that peaks cause a sudden drop in all ranges and kind of muffles the
> sound for couple of milliseconds, I then noticed I have a limiter
> option which I have not yet tested with out.

Any auto level setting will set the level high then "pump" it down on
the loud bits. How fast it returns to high level and high hiss can be
very variable so it is better to avoid all auto record functions.

A limiter is similar but it only catches an overload and restores the
level to the manual setting fairly quickly but it can leave a "hole"
after a loud noise. Best to turn on the limiter and then avoid hitting
it by keeping the record level low enough.

Digital, unlike tape recording has a very low hiss level. Provided the
acoustic background noise covers the recorder system noise, you can
simply bring the level up later. That's the theory anyway but the BBC
standard for digital field recordings in my day was to peak 8dB below
100% level. I currently aim for -12dB, but occasionally a very close
bird hits the limiter. Sometimes it is best to let it distort if it is
a very short sound like a cracking stick. Try it out with a hand clap
when you are doing the mic tests.

David

David Brinicombe
North Devon, UK
Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum - Ambrose Bierce








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